Hiking/Snowshoeing/Cross-Country Skiing

[K9luvr]

If he still chooses to go hiking alone, here are some tips:

1.  Have at least a belt sized survival kit.  There are several that you can purchase or buy items and stock your own.

2.  Know where you are going, and leave an itinerary with someone who will know if you are missing.  One of the keys to search and rescue is to know where to start looking!

3.  Be PREPARED!  I don't know how many S&R calls I get from people that started out in a tank top, shorts, and flip flops with little to no water, get lost, then they have to be bailed out.  Take extra water, map, compasss, (know how to use them...), clothing not only for current but expected weather, etc. 

I occasionally hike alone with my dog but follow my own advice!

[FIGHT ON]

That's great advice!
I would insist he stay on the trails or go with an experienced hiker for a while to start out. Not easy to get lost on trails especially if you have a map and stick to your planned trip. And if something happens he could be easily found.
I rarely go off trails. and im all growed up!

[FIGHT ON]

Another hike to Inspiration Point on a very hot day.
Saw a dog, a group of rappellers, 3 switchback cutters, a trespasser, and many other hikers with little water.
pictures

[in my dreams]

Do you know what the purple flowers are, Fight On?

[FIGHT ON]

Do you know what the purple flowers are, Fight On?

Can't find the name.

[FIGHT ON]

Found it!
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Leptodactylon_californicum

(actually I didn't find it. I met someone yesterday who is a landscape architect. He took classes on identifying native southern california plants. has a photographic memory and knew what it was right away. As well as every other plant in the mountains! And the best part, HE HIKES!!!!!!!!!!)

[Nolena]

It was a beautiful day for hiking up the Blue Ridge Road. I took the dogs. Several groups of people were out there. Didn't need a jacket, and the snow had a strong crust on it, so you could walk on top of it easily with just sneakers. 

[lynnc]

A friend and I went snowshoeing today at Table Mountain campground.  Really nice conditions - soft snow and warm day.  Had plenty of snow, but probably not for much longer.

[kawasaki_girl]

 nice up there... thanks for the invite
 

[Nolena]

I've been cross country skiing up there. Very nice for that sort of thin in the winter. And you can have a nice picnic there, too. Great views! 

[FIGHT ON]

Obviously Pine Mountain Ridge.  As you know John, I know that ridge very well and still have the cut up boots to prove it.  No doubt the helicopters were getting the water from the Mt. High Resevoirs.  As a note, while out on patrol for the USFS, I'm surprised that the resevoirs are not full by this time of the year.  They were last year.

How is that ridge? I've been looking at it for some time now and wondering what it would be like to walk up and or down it. How did you access it? Did you make a loop from Pine mountain and down to the bottom some how? Or start at Vincent Gap and walk up to Pine Mountain and then north and back? Is there a trail on the ridge?

[Nolena]

There's the Devil's Backbone Trail from Blue Ridge Road to the summit of Pine Mountain. The trail goes on to Dawson and Baldy. It's a 1 day trip from Baldy village to Wrightwood (better than the other way, as the elevation of peaks becomes increasingly lower), coming the other way. Then you can take the Acorn Trail into town.

[RobertW]

How is that ridge? I've been looking at it for some time now and wondering what it would be like to walk up and or down it. How did you access it? Did you make a loop from Pine mountain and down to the bottom some how? Or start at Vincent Gap and walk up to Pine Mountain and then north and back? Is there a trail on the ridge?

The ridge is very rough with lots of sharp rocks to twist your ankles on.  Trekking poles suggested.  Above the Pine Mountain "Slab" the ridge is only about two feet wide with cliffs to each side.

We took the Devil's Backbone trail from the back of Wright Mountain on Blue Ridge Road up to Pine Mountain and then started down the ridge.  We spent the night and then came down the old logging road down into Lupine.

It was the middle of August and very hot.  We had to carry all our water which made the packs heavy.  We had "Wrightwood" meet us in Lupine and drive us back out.

We did this trip because we were doing a Big Horn Sheep survey for the DFG.  We had a collar that kept going into mortality signal and then back out of mortality signal (the collar goes into a mortality signal, very fast beeps, when a Big Horn has not moved for six hours).  Telemetry from Blue Ridge Road pointed to the lower part of Pine Mountain Ridge.  We suspected that someone may have poached a collared Big Horn and then hung the collar in a tree.

We saw plenty of Big Horn Sheep, but not the one we were looking for, nor did we find the collar.  We did have a VERY Strong signal from the collared Mountain Lion that made us a little nervous when we bedded down for the night.   

[ChrisLynnet]

Oh my! Now that's an adventure. I'm glad that Mr. Collared Mountain Lion didn't follow up the signal with a personal call!

[FIGHT ON]

The ridge is very rough with lots of sharp rocks to twist your ankles on.  Trekking poles suggested.  Above the Pine Mountain "Slab" the ridge is only about two feet wide with cliffs to each side.

We took the Devil's Backbone trail from the back of Wright Mountain on Blue Ridge Road up to Pine Mountain and then started down the ridge.  We spent the night and then came down the old logging road down into Lupine.

It was the middle of August and very hot.  We had to carry all our water which made the packs heavy.  We had "Wrightwood" meet us in Lupine and drive us back out.

We did this trip because we were doing a Big Horn Sheep survey for the DFG.  We had a collar that kept going into mortality signal and then back out of mortality signal (the collar goes into a mortality signal, very fast beeps, when a Big Horn has not moved for six hours).  Telemetry from Blue Ridge Road pointed to the lower part of Pine Mountain Ridge.  We suspected that someone may have poached a collared Big Horn and then hung the collar in a tree.

We saw plenty of Big Horn Sheep, but not the one we were looking for, nor did we find the collar.  We did have a VERY Strong signal from the collared Mountain Lion that made us a little nervous when we bedded down for the night.   

RobertW, where exactly is that slab on the ridge?
Can you pin point it on ACME Mapper? ACME Mapper
Have you walked the entire ridge down to the east end and up to Vincent Gap before? I'd like to do that. like make a loop hike starting there. Thanks!

[FIGHT ON]

There's the Devil's Backbone Trail from Blue Ridge Road to the summit of Pine Mountain. The trail goes on to Dawson and Baldy. It's a 1 day trip from Baldy village to Wrightwood (better than the other way, as the elevation of peaks becomes increasingly lower), coming the other way. Then you can take the Acorn Trail into town.

I did that both ways in one day about two years ago... http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/9208103_5BpQ6#614767092_r9dRG

I looked down that ridge and thought it looked so cool.
spooky at the very bottom. I was looking at it on Sunday from on top of Baden Powell. Gotta walk on it!

[Dave C]

The ridge is very rough with lots of sharp rocks to twist your ankles on.  Trekking poles suggested.  Above the Pine Mountain "Slab" the ridge is only about two feet wide with cliffs to each side.

We took the Devil's Backbone trail from the back of Wright Mountain on Blue Ridge Road up to Pine Mountain and then started down the ridge.  We spent the night and then came down the old logging road down into Lupine.

It was the middle of August and very hot.  We had to carry all our water which made the packs heavy.  We had "Wrightwood" meet us in Lupine and drive us back out.

We did this trip because we were doing a Big Horn Sheep survey for the DFG.  We had a collar that kept going into mortality signal and then back out of mortality signal (the collar goes into a mortality signal, very fast beeps, when a Big Horn has not moved for six hours).  Telemetry from Blue Ridge Road pointed to the lower part of Pine Mountain Ridge.  We suspected that someone may have poached a collared Big Horn and then hung the collar in a tree.

We saw plenty of Big Horn Sheep, but not the one we were looking for, nor did we find the collar.  We did have a VERY Strong signal from the collared Mountain Lion that made us a little nervous when we bedded down for the night.   

Last year, my wife and I saw a number of Big Horn on the southeastern flank of Pine, while we were hiking the Fish Fork trail.

[mtntrekker]

I've done the hike from Vincent Gap, down into mine gulch, then up Pine Mtn ridge to Pine Mtn. summit, down the backbone and Acorn trail to return to Wrightwood. A very long day. Gaining Pine Mtn ridge from the creekbed involved lots of bushwacking (some through manzanita-ouch!). This is a beautiful and full hike. We saw several big horn sheep and even some mountain lion tracks.  This was an eleven hour day, and worth every minute.

[FIGHT ON]

Gaining Pine Mtn ridge from the creekbed involved lots of bushwacking (some through manzanita-ouch!).

That's what I was interested in. How it is from the creekbed up to the ridge. Where did you start going up?
Can you put some markers on acme mapper? http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=34.35066,-117.72494&z=14&t=T

So you started from Vincent Gap and walked down the trail that goes down Vincent Gulch? When you get to the base of the Pine Mt. Ridge did you just go straight up from there or go to the east or west a bit? Thanks!

[RobertW]

I've found my original report to the CDFG.  How time flys!  It was actually July of 2004 when we made our decent down Pine Mountain Ridge.  In one of the pictures you can see smoke beyond Baden Powell. That was the morning that the "Pine" fire started near Lebec, CA.  It would burn for nearly a month.  I'm sure the ridge is a lot more overgrown after 7 years with buckbrush and Manzanita.

I've packpacked since I was 15 years old.  This was my nephews first experience of "backpacking".  Since then he's done a tour of Iraq and Afganistan and has taught me a thing or two about "backpacking".   

http://wrightwoodcalif.com/bigpines/History/BighornSheepHike.pdf